Trellis construction



July 16, 1957 5; J. IANNONE TRELLIS CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 25, 1955 A .ZZ/VWme, 0271/1/54 IJI United States Patent 2,799,122 TRELLIS CONSTRUCTION Samuel J. Iannone, Beacon, N. Y. Application February 25, 1955, Serial No. 490,580

7 Claims. (01. 47-47) This invention relates to trellis work and more particularly to the type involving the assembly of a plurality of slats or the like onto a common mount from which they extend in a decorative format. As a matter of example, the practice of this invention will be shown as applicable for the construction of a garden trellis or the like.

An object of this invention is to provide a novel and improved trellis construction of the character mentioned, affording a common mount onto which the slat-like members are easily associated and locked in place.

A further object hereof is to provide a novel and improved trellis structure of the type set forth, which is suitable to be made wholly of metal, requiring a minimum of slat material and yet offering maximum exposed surface and substantial strength at reasonable cost.

Another object hereof is to provide novel and improved trellis work construction of the kind described, which is easy to manufacture, which can be shipped knock down for assembly by the user and which is eflicient in carrying out the purposes for which it is designed.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as this disclosure proceeds.

Essentially, I employ a box-like structure, parts of which are provided with suitably spaced slots arranged in a relationship to receive the ends of slat-like members for the assembly. Each of the slats penetrate said box and have notches for snug engagement in said slots respectively; a detachable or shiftable wall of the box serving to clamp all the slats and thus maintain the assembly.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Fig. 1 is a front View of agarden trellis embodying the teachings of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side view of one of the slats.

Fig. 4 is a section taken at lines 4-4 in Fig. 1, shown enlarged.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view in part fragmentary, showing the slat-mounting structure which is boxform. One of the slats is shown in place but the clamping member is omitted to attain clarity of illustration.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view drawn to an enlarged scale, taken at lines 6--6 in Fig. 1.

Figs. 7 and 8 show cross-sections of slat material which may be used with the slat-mount shown herein.

In the drawing, the numeral 15 designates generally a trellis construction whose slats 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 are of T cross-section, associated on a mount therefor which is generally denoted as 21, from which they extend upwards in a fan-like formation. If an anchor spike 22 is included to extend downwardly from said mount, the structure serves as a garden trellis. The U-shaped pieces 23 serve to space and brace the slats and may be secured as shown in Fig. 4 by screw or rivet means 24. The spike 22 may have a cross section in the form of a cated at 25 to serve as a rest for the clamping member 26.

Said slat-mount 21 may be in the form of a box whose cover which is the member 26, is a separate piece in the embodiment illustrated. This box has a partition 27 parallel to its wall 28; said wall and partition having aligned slots. The slots in said wall are denoted by the numeral 29, while those in the partition are indicated as 30. All these slots preferably are open-ended at the box rim against which the member 26 sets after mounting the slats. However when the slat material used is of the types shown in Figs. 5,7 and 8, the slotted wall 28 and the partition 27 are a bit inward of the rim edges 31 which latter then serve as seats for the plate member 26. Dimensions are such that the said plate when secured by the screws 32 onto the mount structure 21, said plate will press against the slats and hold them securely. This condition is indicated in Fig. 6.

Each of the slat members is provided with a notch 33 near the end thereof which is to be positioned within the mount 21. Such would be the case for slats of T- section or L-section, in the vanes thereof indicated by the numerals 34 and 35. For the slats of U-section, each of their vanes 36 would be provided with such notches. Width, length as well as the spacing of all slots and notches would have to be made to suit the type of slat used and preferably so that the assembled slats shall be in contact within the mount 21 and a little distance out of it, though same is not mandatory. The slots 30 are of course shorter than the slots 29 so that the partition 27 will be engaged by the slats in the notches 33 and preferably in frictional contact therewith. Also the very ends of the slats within the mount 21 may be in frictional contact with the wall 37. Though termed slots, 29 and 30 may really be called elongated notches starting from the rim of the open side of the mount which is covered by the clamping plate 26. If desired, though not shown, the clamping plate may be hinged along one of the rim edges 31, to afford a unitary construction.

The trellis work and its mount may be of metal, wood or other suitable material and may be ornamented, painted, sprayed, or otherwise treated. It is specially adaptable to be made of aluminum throughout, anodized and colored. The slats may take on any formation as design may dictate.

This invention is capable of numerous forms and various applications without departing from the essential features herein disclosed. It is therefore intended and desired that the embodiment shown herein be deemed illustrative and not restrictive and that the patent shall cover all patentable novelty herein set forth; reference being had to the following claims rather than to the specific description herein to indicate the scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. In a trellis construction, a box-like structure having one of its wall members shiftable to expose the interior of said box, a partition member within the box; said partition member and another wall of the box being each in angular relation to said shiftable wall member and provided each with a set of spaced elongated notches commencing from the edges thereof which face said shiftable wall member, a plurality of elongated slats positioned with one end of each of them through at least one of the elongated notches in each set of notches and means within the box structure on each of the slats, engaging at least one of said members whereby the slats are held against longitudinal movement; said slats being removable from the box upon shifting the shiftable wall member to open the box.

2; The trellis construction as defined in claim 1, wherein the shiftable wall member is against the slats and acts to clamp them to the box structure.

3. The trellis structure as defined in claim 1, wherein each of the slats have a laterally extending portion Within the box; such lateral portions being in contactwith the shiftable wall member of the box structure.

4. The trellis construction. as defined in claim 1, wherein each of the slats have a laterally extending portion within the box; such lateral portions being in successive contact with each other and such portions being in contact with the shiftable wall member of the box structure.

5. The trellis construction as defined in claim 4, wherein the opposite walls of the box structure between which are the notched wall and partition members, and also the slats extend to the shiftable wall member and contact such wall member.

6. The trellis construction as defined in claim 1, wherein the means to maintain the slats in assembled relation is afiorded by at least having one notch in each slat; said notches engaging one of the notched box components.

7. The trellis construction as defined in claim 1, including a spike extending from the box structure in a direction different than the direction the slats extend, whereby the box is mountable on the ground into which the said spike is adapted to be stuck; said spike having an element extending laterally therefrom; said shiftable box wall member resting on said extending element.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

